Pray for Tsiighetchic
Tsiigehtchic (prounounced sig-eh-chic) is located on the Dempster Highway where the Arctic Red River meets the Mackenzie River. It is reachable by car much of the year by using the Mackenzie river ferry or an ice river crossing. The community is also located approximately a one hour drive down the Dempster northeast of Ft McPherson. Formerly called Arctic Red River, the community officially changed its name to Tsiigehtchic (Mouth of Iron River) in 1994 to honor it’s traditional name. This location has a very long history as a summer fish camp for the Gwichya Gwich’in (”people of the flat lands”) and was the site of many gatherings and trade (both friendly and not so friendly) between the Gwichya Gwich’in, Slavey and Inuvialuit. Many of the families in Tsiigehtchic have relatives in Fort McPherson, Old Crow and Inuvik.
While Tsiigehtchic is a smaller community of about 200 people; the morale of the people we met seemed to be very good. We met a group of 12 local youth spending their summer cleaning up, mowing, weed eating and hauling away debris to beautify their community. They were working on cleaning up around the two Catholic Church buildings, the original structure built in the 1800’s and the newer one built in the 1940’s. As we talked with them, all of the youth professed to be catholic yet none of them claimed to have ever attended the church. We were told that the priest comes to Tsiigehtchic periodically and that there is a lay person who led a small group that ceased meeting approximately two years ago. There were no other churches in Tsiigehtchic.
This community points to a trend that not only can be found in this area, but also across Canada, Europe and parts of the US. Generations of people have all that western society can provide: televisions, computers, numerous convenience appliances, automobiles, abundant food supplies and so much more. But their lives are terribly empty. The people are missing purpose and hope. They have turned their back to the One who created them and offers a life that has hope for eternity and genuine purpose for this life. They substitute a relationship with Christ with a religiosity that combines ancestor worship, Shamanism, Darwinism, Humanism, self-esteem with just enough Christian truth to be no good news at all. Most of these people have been inoculated to the good news of forgiveness and life transformation available in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
While we enjoyed talking with the youth we met, we were delighted to see they seemed genuinely open to building relationships with outsiders. Our overall visit was pleasant, but we were overwhelmed by the need for an outpouring of God’s love in this community. Please pray for God to send workers into the harvest field of Tsiigehtchic.
Specific Prayer Requests:
Pray that God will raise up someone to lead the people of Tsiigehtchic to a life transforming relationship with Christ.
Pray that God will draw the youth we met to Himself.
Pray that God will provide the resources and people to send a team here next summer to begin to reaching out to the children, youth and adults of this community.